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I shoot her a glare. “The king will not stop sending men into my lands. If we want to end this, we need to plan.”

She taps a finger against her lips. “Ah, so now you need me.”

I resist the urge to throttle her.

Instead, I turn sharply on my heel and stride down the hall, not bothering to check if she follows. Of course she does. She’s too curious not to.

I lead her through the winding corridors, past the great stone archways and into the war chamber. The room is large, its walls lined with shelves of aged tomes, stacks of parchment detailing past battles, old maps marked with the scars of previous wars. At its center, an imposing blackwood table stretches the length of the chamber, an intricate map carved into its surface—one that shifts and pulses with magic, constantly updating with the state of my lands.

The kingdom of Varellith spreads across the table, an enchanted rendering of the forests, rivers, and mountains. The castle stands at the very heart, its obsidian spires gleaming under the illusion of a sunless sky. To the east, the king’s territories loom in shades of burning red, steadily encroaching, pressing closer with each passing week.

Vaela approaches the table slowly, her fingers tracing the carved rivers and valleys. “Impressive,” she murmurs. “It’s… alive.”

I cross my arms. “It updates in real time. If the king moves his forces, we’ll see it here first.”

She studies it, her brows furrowing slightly. “And you’ve been fighting him alone?”

I don’t answer.

Because the truth of it is—it hasn’t been just him. Humans have always sought to take from me. This war is nothing new.

Vaela presses her palms against the table, leaning forward, studying the flickering sigils marking recent skirmishes. The robe slips slightly again, teasing another bare inch of skin. My eyes betray me, dragging downward, taking in the long line of her spine, the dip of her waist, the curve of her hips.

I clench my jaw, forcing my gaze back to the map.

Vaela hums. “We can’t just keep killing scouts. It delays him, but it doesn’t stop him.”

I exhale, fingers tapping against my arm. “Then what do you suggest?”

She looks up, her eyes sharp with calculation. “We let them come.”

I blink. “You want me to invite an army into my land?”

“Not an army,” she corrects. “Just enough of them to think they have the advantage. We feed them just enough confidence to send a proper force—one we can crush in full. If we destroy a larger force in one strike, he’ll have no choice but to hesitate.”

It’s… a solid plan.

A dangerous one.

But perhaps, so is she.

I exhale slowly, watching her closely. She’s cunning—calculating in a way that is entirely different from me. WhereI strike with fire and fury, she coils like the tide, waiting, watching, striking when the enemy least expects it.

We are different.

And yet, the same.

I tilt my head slightly. “And you’re willing to fight for my realm, just like that?”

She smirks, tilting her chin up. “A deal is a deal, Dragon Queen. I never break my word.”

Her voice is light, but I don’t miss the way her fingers graze the pearls at her bodice—the weight of her own past pressing just beneath the surface.

I lean forward, just slightly. “And what will you do when this war is over, little siren?”

She exhales a soft laugh. “That depends.”

“On?”